In the first game of the post-Thomas Vanek and Andrew MacDonald era, the Islanders fell to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime on the road.

The Islanders held a 2-0 lead going into the third period — an all to familiar situation — when the Oilers scored two goals in the final frame to force overtime. Sam Gagne forced a neutral zone turnover in overtime and drove to the net. His shot deflected off the stick of Taylor Hall and into the net to pull off the come from behind win for the Oilers.

“I think our young guys struggled,” Islander Coach Jack Capuano told MSG Plus after the loss. “Right before Travis’s penalty that line had a tough shift. You should always be in support as a low centerman there and I know we got walked, and gave them momentum. They scored on that and then obviously in overtime we mismanaged the puck.”

The Islanders opened the scoring on a short handed goal by Frans Nielsen at 9:58 of the first period. Cal Clutterbuck and Nielsen started a two-on-one rush and Nielsen blasted a shot past Oilers’ starter Ben Scrivens. Anders Lee made it 2-0, redirecting a shot from the point past Scrivens.

The score would remain 2-0 until the third, when the Islanders started to let the game slip away. Through two periods they were the better team and outshot the Oiler 23-14 in that span.

But Edmonton scored two goals in the third period and Hall scored the overtime winner to hand the Islanders their fifth loss in their last eight games.

“We shut them down for most of the game.I don’t know, we played solid and it was just a couple of breakdowns,” said Calvin de Haan.

Thursday’s game began a stretch where the overall outcome of games does not really matter, rather players are playing for jobs next season. Rookie Anders Lee understands that and has stepped up to the challenge.

“It’s a huge opportunity,” He said. “We have a chance to come in here and try to make a difference and try to make a positive impact. You don’t get too many of these [opportunities] and you wanna take full advantage of it.”

The Islanders have a quick turn around after Thursday’s loss; They take on the Calgary Flames on Friday night in Calgary.

What coach in his right mind plays Brian frickin Strait in the 4v4 situation?? He is an AWFUL AWFUL player yet for some reason Capuano fancies him a number 1 defender and broke up our 2 best D in Hamonic/DeHaan for this clown. not to mention we have his molasses skating for 2 more years!!! Oh my god, when will the nightmare stop...

Not to mention, Nabokov was at his absolute worst yesterday. I swear my beer league tender stops that OT winner. Any goalie with a competent butterfly stops that puck, but Nabby was at his playoff best, flailing for a dumb pokecheck when the skater is still at the hashmarks. I despise Capuano and I despise Snow. When will this nonsense end??

I have gone from hating Snow and his rebuild to finally buying into it. After years of fighting feelings of contempt for the team and its management that I once lived and breathed for I finally was brought back into the fold and was a big backer once again.

But this latest round of interviews by Snow has made me see what's really going on. I know many on this forum have already said this but now its clear to me. Wang is the real culprit of this debacle. He is so cheap that he has limited what Snow can do. Snow is trying to be a good soldier but even he can't convince anyone about this latest debacle. Its so obvious to me now that Wang want just wants to string us along with this perpetual rebuild using low salaried players and stocking draft picks to replace those that reach UFA status. I guess he is just biding his time till they get to Brooklyn and their sale value goes up. There were times I suspected this was the case but I KNOW it now.

Perhaps this nightmare is close to being over.

I may be slower than most of you but I get it now. Better late then never.

You know what, at this point in time, who really cares any more? Any interest in this hockey team, which I have followed and cared for since 1975, is gone by the wayside. We were even Season ticket holders for a number of years, including a chunk of time into the 1990's, and we sat in section 115. I didn't even watch the game last night, and I have no intention of going to any more games. I refuse to waste any more of my time or money on some team that is run like some second rate minor league joke, similar to the Charlestown Chiefs . I feel sorry for any of the players who are left on this team. They have to see through the sham of this organization.

It's really a shame what has happened to a really wonderful organization, that was run for some time by competent, smart hockey people. Al Arbour was probably one the top hockey coaches of his time, and mentioned in the same sentences along with the likes of Scotty Bowman, Pat Burns and some of the other greats. Bill Torrey was a sharp, smart and patient hockey GM that built one of the greatest dynasties in all of Sports.

To see what become of this once proud and great organization is really sad. This team will not move forward unless Charles Wang sells the team, and Snow is long gone. It's no wonder Neil Smith and Pat LaFontaine stepped away from this Wang run fiasco. He has screwed Long Island and the fans royally. And I refuse to stand by and watch this any longer. While I refuse to root for the NY Rangers, I will look to follow some other team that is run like a professional one. Lou Lamoriello comes to mind when I think of shrewd and smart hockey men.

I dont want to come here and bash a team that I have loved since I was a youngster. Just want them to be competitive ,and able to sit down and watch the whole game with out turning off the T.V.Last Night they played hard ,but I dont understand this Coach? Hamonic and De haan have been their most solid defensive pair, why break them up last night? How come when the power play is like 1-15 they are not out there, for the first minute?Both have great shots from the point and both are mobile this Coach continues to boggle my Mind.

How long will JT put up with this nonsense before he asks out? Two yrs tops? Bernier gives them solid goaltending which they haven't had since Chris Osgood. I would hate to see JT go but what pieces do we have to compliment his talents. KO looks very ordinary without him!

The clown Snow all but said we're in another rebuild! All of this is predicated on Wang keeping the team (god forbid) Naturally if Wang sold and a new owner brought in real hockey people and was willing too spend money, JT would be the our main asset going forward!

This may be considered heresy but how much longer will JT put up with being a sideshow in Wang's circus? I'd package JT and Bailey(Bailey must be included for the deal to made) to Toronto for Bernier, Kadri, Gardiner and Toronto's #1 pick in 2015! I think Toronto would jump at the deal. Kessel might score 60 goals playing with JT! The Islanders are unwilling to spend any money! By just trying to build through the draft will take at least another five yrs (if not forever). I don't think JT will wait that long for this team to be truly competetive and who could blame him? This team as currently comprised is small and not very talented, with bad goaltending, worse coaching and a truly clueless GM! Might as well blow the whole thing up and start from scratch!

Fun fact. The NHL has hired a Charles Wang company to edit NHL game highlights. Look at good old Charles making some money off the NHL. I learned this because I was born in plainview and have a friend working their in the plainview office right now.

The sad part of this whole saga is that if this mess were in Kansas City or Cleveland the team would have been sold and moved ten years ago. Because the potential exists to squeeze nickels out of New York not available in minor markets, this farce is allowed to continue.

During their first season in the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers had a winger named Blair MacDonald who scored 46 goals and racked up 94 pts. After the season was over he marched into the GM's office to ask for a raise. The GM then reminded him that his center was a guy named Gretzky and that the Oilers could put a fire hydrant on that wing and it would probably put up the same numbers.

Okposo was playing with Tavares and Vanek. Let's see what he does without them.

On NHL Revealed the other night they showed JT peddling pretty hard on the stationary bike, I know he is rehabbing but also maybe it was a outlet for the anger and frustration he is feeling right now not only with his injury situation but with the state that this team is in right now.

One has to believe and hope that Wang is going to sell the team as Brooklyn draws nearer. It is the only rationale that makes sense as to why he has secluded himself, wont spend and wont replace Snow/Capuano. If he were in this for the long haul, under the circumstances I would think the man has mental issues.

There is no fear of losing it is actually excepted almost as a substitute for winning, no accountability, win or loss, blowout or blowing lead.....they always battle hahd and get tough breaks....for once the coach needs to read the riot act...and ironically on the day where Snow is getting creamed about the Vanek trade, Ryan Smyth burns Isles to start comeback lol

When is enough...enough? When are we as fans going to stop banging our heads against the wall and wondering why we have a headache? The other day, a guy from the Islanders promotion department called asking if I'd like to buy a ticket package. I couldn't help it, I laughed at the guy. I said I love the Islanders but I'm not wasting my time and money to come watch the product the team is putting on the ice. He laughed too and thanked me for being a fan. No more...not until they get serious about competing and stop being the laughingstock of the NHL.

@Harry (PJP) Harry there is no shame in saying that. I said the same thing here yesterday. Although I don't think I will ever forgive him for trading Luongo, Chara, and even Bertuzzi to some degree. I don't think Mad Mike would have the trade of Moulson though. I think he would have had enough sense not to mess with the chemistry that already existed for another commodity that I don't even think was an upgrade. That made no sense at all. And then to throw in the draft choices to boot!! And then not even get a commitment from Vanek that he would sign with us before hand? I've seen GM's in sports do some pretty wacky things over the years but that made no sense at all. Eh, who cares?

"Trade me right effing now," ala Denny, the goalie from Slapshot, and we may hear something similar from JT is about 2 years or so That should be the mantra of several players on this wreck of a team, I detest Snow, and Wang so much my eyeballs bleed.

@TonyM Tony you might be right. I'm sure the Islanders will approach John Tavares 3 years from now with 1 year left on his contract and offer him an a very lucrative extension. If the Islanders are not at least a middle of the pack team 2 years from now then that scenario might play out. If the Islanders are ever put in that situation where they have to trade Tavares then it would be just like the Eric Lindros sweepstakes. Every team will make an offer.

His game has come a long way. He has sniped shots that only elite players can. He created plays and opportunities all season long! Have you not been watching? Sorry but KO has proved more than enough to me, he simply needs to stay at this level PERIOD

@Shannon Falotico they got pinned in their own end and finally took a penalty. those are tough to kill. they'd already dodged a few bullets. imo strome made a poor puck-control play throwing the puck aimlessly behind his own goal off the end boards. that's how the whole pinned-in sequence started and they ended up taking the penalty. this was a game about execution to close it out. they failed.

Everyone points figures on the team and by everyone I mean everyone managing this team, capuano for once put a loss on his shoulders, how can u let your team loose so many games after being up by two goals, that's mismanaging your team and not coaching them well, I doubt it's conditioning, it's the way the coach coaches this team and its disgusting, they played 2 very solid periods of hockey and I was impressed, as soon as they come out in the third they look like a whole different team, this coaching staff has to go, the gm is a moron and has to go and wang obviously get the hell out of here

@isles4life Nabakov said it 2 months ago: "They haven't leared how to win". Winning teams bring it home with a 2 goal lead in the 3rd. This must fall on the coach. There will be a marked improvement with a coach bringing in his own assistants and allowed to run the team as he sees fit - ever given the low payroll.